Railway-switch



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. W. CLOUD.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 375,048. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

3. W. CLOUD. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Dec. 20, 18L87.

lmmm

UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT WV. CLOUD, OF VAL BUREN, OHIO.

R AILWAY-SWITC H.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,048, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed May 21, 1887. Serial No. 5238,9516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. CLOUD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Van Buren, in the county of Hancock and State of Ohio, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in RailwaySwitches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-switches; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and

particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway-switch embodying my improvements, showing the switch set for the main track. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same, showing the switch set for the side track. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line a; 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a detached perspective View of the operating switch stand and lever.

A represents the main track, 13 represents the side track, and Orepresents the frog which connects the inner rail of the side track to the inner rail of the main track.

D represents a switch-rail, which has one end flexibly connected to the point of the frog. This switch-rail is adapted to play laterally on the cross-ties and is guided on plates E, which are provided at their extremities with upturned flanges F, which serve as detents to limit the movement of the switch-rails.

G represents a pair of switch-rails, which form a portion of the main track and normally align with the same. The said switch-rails are secured together by means of cross-bars H,and their free ends are guided on plates I, which are similar to plates E and are secured on the cross-ties which support the switch-rails G. A diagonally-arranged cross-bar, K, connects the outer rail of the side track and the outer rail of the main track and extends under the switch-rail D, the latter being provided with a depending box or keeper, L, that engages the said cross-bar. The box or keeper L is constructed in the form of a sliding chair, which moves on the cross-barK when the rail D, which is secured thereto, is moved, as shown in Fig. 2.

M represents a rodwhich is connected to the free end of the switch-rail D. N represents a similar rod which is connected to the free ends of the switch-rails G.

(No model.)

On one side of thejunction of the main and side track is arranged a vertical stand or case, 0, in which isjournaled a vertical shaft, P. To the upper end of the said shaft is attached the usual target, R, which serves to indicate the position of the switch, and to the lower end of the said shaft is attached a cross-bar, S, which forms a lever of the first class. One end of this cross-bar is connected to the rod M, and the other end thereof is connected to the rod N. That arm of the cross-bar S which is connected to the rod M is nearly twice as long as the arm connected to the rod N, and thereby the free end of the switch-rail D is caused to move through a space equal to twice the distance traversed by the free ends of the switchrails G when the shaft P is turned.

T represents a volute spring, which is arranged in the stand 0 and has its outer end. attached thereto, and the inner end of the said spring is attached tot-he shaft P. The func tion of the said spring is to normally turn the shaft so that it will cause the cross-bar S to move the free end of the switch-rails D and G into alignment with each other and with the main track, so as to keep the main track normally cleared, as indicated in Fig. 1. On the upper side of the stand 0 is a circular plate, U, which is provided on opposite sides with notches V and W.

X represents a lever which projects to one side ofthe shaft P, and to the outer end of the said lever is pivoted an arm or detent, Y. This detent engages one of the notches in the plate U when the shaft is turned, in order to move the switch'rails, and thereby keep the said shaft and switch-rails locked in the position in which they are set.

When it is desired to turn the switch so as to connect the side track to the main track, the detent is disengaged from the notch in the plate U and turned to a horizontal position to afford leverage on the shaft P, and the said shaft is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby causing the crossbar S to move the free ends of the switch-rail Dtoward the outer side ofthe main track, and to move the free ends of the switch-rails G into alignment with the side track and with the switch-rail D, as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. The combination of the main track, the

side track, the frog connecting the contiguous ends of the inner rails of the main and side tracks, the switch-rail D,having one end connected in line with the point of the frog, the switch-rails G, forming continuations of the rails of the main track, the cross bar S, connected to the free ends of the rails D and G, and adapted to move the same simultaneously in opposite directions, the diagonally-arranged cross-bar K, and the sliding box or chairL, to which the rail D is secured, mounted and having movement on the said bar K, ior the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the main and side tracks, the switchrail D, having one end se curedin line with the meeting ends of the contiguous rails of the main and side tracks, the switch-rails G, forming a continuation of the main track, the shaft P, having the bar S, the v rods connecting the said bar to the free ends of the switch-rails D and G, and the spring to normally turn the said shaft, so as to cause the switch-rails to'be set to open the main track, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the main and side tracks, the switch-rail D, having one end connected in line with the meeting ends of the .contiguous rails of the side and main tracks,

the switch-rails G, forming a continuation of the main track, the spring-actuated shaft P, having the bar S, the rods connecting the said bar to the free ends of the switch rails D and G, and the detent to lock the said shaft in position when the switch-rails are set to either the side or main tracks, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT w. CLOUD.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT ZUGSoI-IWERT, ROBERT THORNBURG. 

